Pant-like disposable undergarments for absorbing human discharges can appear similar in size and shape to regular cloth underwear which is designed to be laundered and reused two or more times. A disposable undergarment is an article intended to be worn by persons, including infants, toddlers, or adults, that is designed for single use or temporary use and is meant to be disposed of after being used once instead of being laundered or dry cleaned for re-use. Some examples of disposable undergarments include infant diapers, training pants, adult incontinence garments, feminine pants, etc.
Some pant-like disposable undergarments manufactured today resemble regular cloth underwear in that they have a waist opening and a pair of leg openings. Such pant-like disposable undergarments can be pulled up around the torso of a user in a similar fashion as regular cloth underwear. Still other pant-like disposable undergarments contain an attachment mechanism that will allow the undergarment to be opened into a flat configuration prior to being placed around the torso of a user. This design is beneficial for bed bound users who may be immobile and who need assistance in securing the undergarment in place. Still other refastenable, pant-like undergarments contain attachment means for opening and closing the waist opening after the undergarment has been positioned around the torso of a user. This feature is advantageous in that the user does not have to undress when there is a desire to check the status of the undergarment. One refastenable, pant-like disposable undergarment currently being commercially sold by Kimberly-Clark Corporation uses a pair of tear lines with each extending from the waist opening to one of the leg openings. The tear lines are designed to be broken either prior to positioning the undergarment around the user's torso or while the undergarment is already positioned about the user's torso. A pair of attachment members is then utilized to refasten the undergarment so that it is snug about the user's torso.
It has been found that a portion of each of the tear lines is visually hidden by the attachment members and some users cannot see them and thereby do not know that they are present. Second, each tear line may be ergonomically hard to tear open by older adults, some of who may be suffering from arthritis.
Now a refastenable, pant-like disposable undergarment for absorbing human discharge has been invented that uses a pair of ear flaps, each formed adjacent to one of the pair of tear lines, which will cause the tear lines to break as the attachment members are opened.